Selling furniture online is a great way to clear out pieces that are taking up room in your home. By selling, you can make a little cash and create space for new furniture. To sell your furniture online, choose a website to list on, post a quality ad, and communicate with potential buyers until you come to an agreement and complete the sale.

Choose a popular site to post your listing on. There are many different classifieds websites and apps out there that you can sell your furniture on. The more popular the site is, the more exposure your listing will get. Opt for sites that you’ve heard about to give your furniture the best chance to sell.

Letgo and Etsy are examples of popular sites that people use to buy and sell items.

Go with a site that doesn’t charge you for listings. Many sites will charge you a fee for each of your listings, while others take a percentage of each of your sales. In order to pocket as much money as you can, avoid these sites and instead opt for ones that allow you to list for free. Craigslist and Facebook are a couple of the most popular sites that allow you to list for free. However, there are also many less popular options, including:[1]XResearch source

Pick a site that’s specifically used for selling furniture. Because it has become more popular to buy and sell items online, there are now not only sites where all kinds of items are for sale, but also sites where only specific items are for sale. Consider going with a site made specifically for furniture sales to get the best luck, as potential buyers visiting these sites are usually looking to buy furniture.[2]XResearch source

Set up a profile if the site requires you to. Often, buyers will trust you more if you include a picture and a provide some information about yourself. Plus, many sites have review systems, where you can leave reviews for buyers and buyers can leave reviews for you.[3]XResearch source

Create a new post. The way to create new listings varies based on which site you’re using. However, most sites have an easily accessible button that you can click on in order to be redirected to a page where you can enter in a new product description and photos. Click on any button you see that says something like “New Post” or “Create a Listing.”

Write an accurate description of the furniture. include all the basic information about the furniture in the description, such as how big it is and what material it's made out of. The buyer wants to know as much information about the piece as you can provide.[4]XResearch source

For example, if you’re selling a kitchen table, your description might say something like, “Used sturdy 44 in (110 cm) by 44 in (110 cm) by 36 in (91 cm) kitchen table for sale. The table is made of oak and comes with 4 chairs and blue detachable seat cushions. Both the table and chairs are in excellent condition, and have no scratches.”

Be upfront about the condition of your furniture. You don't want angry buyers who will leave you with a bad review or refuse to pay. Even if your furniture isn't in perfect condition, there's likely still a buyer out there who may want it. Try to be as honest and straightforward as you can to keep potential buyers happy and to encourage them to follow through with the sale.[5]XResearch source

Anticipate questions and add the answers to your product description. Try to answer as many questions as you can ahead of time. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. What would you want to know about the piece of furniture? For instance, is it easy to clean? Is your home pet-, bug-, and smoke-free? How long have you had the piece? Buyers will be curious about the answers to these questions.[6]XResearch source

Create a story to increase your furniture’s value. The ad is your opportunity to really sell this piece of furniture. Highlight its best features, such as how comfortable it is, the color, or its great wood details, in the listing description. If it has a story (such as it was handmade), play up that detail. Think about what attracted you to the piece in the first place, and be sure to include that in your description as well.[7]XResearch source

For example, if you’re selling a large L-shaped couch, you might write. “This couch’s soft fabric and supportive structure make it perfect for comfy movie nights with the whole family.”

Proofread your description to ensure that there aren’t any errors. After you’ve finished writing your description, complete with details and stories, read over it slowly and carefully. Errors can drive away potential buyers because they may make you look careless, or make your description unclear. Carefully proofread your listing to make it as professional as possible.

Remove clutter from around the furniture to prepare for photos. People want to see your furniture, not the mess that surrounds it. Clean up the area around the furniture before you take photos of it. It’s also a good idea to also take any extras, such as throw pillows, table runners, or vases, off of the furniture so that potential buyers can see every part of it.[8]XResearch source

Clean up your furniture before you take photos. No one wants to see the stains on your old table or microfiber couch. Scrub it down before you take a photo so that your furniture looks as good as it possibly can. For fabric furniture, you may want to vacuum it and spot-treat it, for instance.[9]XResearch source

Take and upload at least 1 photo of your furniture piece. Buyers are more likely to click on an ad with quality photos, so make sure that you take a few in good lighting that are clear. Also, taking photos at multiple angles can help potential buys get a better idea of what the product truly looks like. Then, upload them to your listing.[10]XResearch source

Keep in mind that some sites may limit how many photos you can upload, so you may have to pick your best shots.

The best lighting is natural light, so try to take pictures during the day in a room with a lot of sunlight.

Skip the stock photos. You may be able to find stock photos of your furniture online. However, people want to see the actual furniture you have in your home, not a brand-new model.

Do some research to find out what your piece will likely sell for. People are typically more drawn to reasonable prices; too high might make potential buyers feel like they’re being ripped off and too low can make them doubt the validity of the description and photos. Go online and look up pieces that are similar to your piece before deciding on a price for yours.[11]XResearch source You can also put information like the age, brand, and condition of your piece into an online furniture calculator to find out what it’s most likely worth.

Decide on a price based on condition and age, and post your listing. After seeing what others are selling similar pieces for online, take a good look at your furniture piece and determine what condition it's in, whether it’s like new, has a few small scratches here and there, or is very worn. While condition tends to be most important, age is also a big factor. Generally, the older your furniture is, the less it will go for. Choose a price that you think is the most fair, clearly state the price in your listing, and then post the listing.[12]XResearch source

It’s best to price the piece at 20-50% of the original price.

Pick a price that’s a little lower than market price if it’s in excellent condition and you bought it less than a year ago.

Pick a price that’s significantly lower than market price if its worn and a few years old.

Answer buyers' questions. After you've uploaded your ad and submitted to the site, questions are likely to come in from potential buyers. Answer each one as promptly and as honestly as you can.[13]XResearch source

If, for example, a potential buyer messages you and asks “Has the fabric of the couch faded at all?” you might respond by saying, “Hello! There’s very minimal fading towards the center of each seat cushion, but nowhere else on the rest of the couch. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.”

Haggle as needed. Many buyers will expect to haggle with you. You can lower the price or stand firm on it as you see fit. Keep in mind, you may sell faster if you are willing to come down a bit on the price.[14]XResearch source

Sell your item by agreeing on a price. Once you've completed all of your steps, you've hopefully found a buyer. You can complete the transaction if you both agree on the price. For safety's sake, make sure to always have a friend around when a buyer arrives.

Be clear about pickup and/or delivery options. Potential buyers are more likely to be interested in your furniture piece and follow through with the sale if you offer a delivery option. Even if you aren’t able to offer delivery, it’s a good idea to let interested buyers know right away that the piece is pickup only, so that they don’t realize this later on and back out of the sale.[15]XResearch source

Don’t forget to charge a little extra for a delivery service. This is understandable and typically expected, as you’ll be taking your time and using your gas in order to deliver the piece.

Additionally, double check the agreed upon time and place if you’re meeting the buyer somewhere to give them the piece.

To sell furniture online, choose a popular classifieds website such as Letgo, Viyet, or Craigslist. Then, create your post by writing an accurate description of the piece, including how big it is, what material it’s made of, and what condition it’s in. Additionally, take a picture of your furniture in an uncluttered, well-lit space to accompany the ad. In order to price your piece, use an online calculator or list it at 20%-50% of the original price. To learn how to negotiate the price with a potential buyer, keep reading!